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Snatching quiet time

In my Boxing Day post I mentioned there are quite a few people in our family gathered together this Christmas, which can be a challenge for me as an introvert. So tonight, everyone else is downstairs in the games room, (apart from Baby Bear who's tucked up in bed) whilst I'm enjoying quiet time with my journaling Bible by the log burner with the hounds. Just soaking in all the goodness from the Psalms, which are so full of great truth and very easy to dip imams out of if you don't have much time.

I really love the ESV translation that my journaling Bible is, however every now and then other translations hit the nail on the head a little bit more for certain verses. Tonight's I've been meditating on Psalm 116:2. In the ESV it reads: "Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live." Whereas the New Living Translation reads: "Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!" Personally I just love the visual conjured up by the NLT.

Firstly the idea of God bending down to listen to me, like a Daddy bending down to be on the same level as his small child - possibly because I see my husband doing this with our daughter a lot at the moment. Even though she cannot speak yet, he still bends down to listen to her little chatterings. Which in turn reminds me of myself and God. Sometimes I feel like I cannot put into words what I need to say - but I know He still listens and in fact He has given the Holy Spirit to us to express when we cannot (Romans 8:26 "...the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words").

Secondly the idea of praying as long as I have breath - so dramatic, but so true! My Lord & Saviour is loving enough to bend down to my level and listen to me, of course I will keep praying!

Recently as a family we have seen some wonderful answer to prayer. I was very specific in my request and things played out just as I requested. There's a lot more prayer needed as these things unfold further over the next few months and I will keep praying - and praising God for the answers we have already seen! At the same time there are prayers I have prayed daily which we still wait to see answered... and I will keep praying them as long as I have breath!